Mansfield Health Scheme wins a National Fitness Award

Mansfield District Leisure Trust’s (MDLT) Healthy Life scheme has won a major prize at the National Fitness Awards, which were held last week at the Athena event venue in Leicester.

For the great work the scheme has done to help people improve their fitness, recover from injuries, be in the best shape to cope with major surgery, and recover quicker after an operation, MDLT was awarded Best Rehabilitation Facility of the Year.

On the night, Mansfield were represented by Carolyn Hallam, Health & Wellbeing Manager for MDLT, and Alex Kirk, Senior Health & Fitness Advisor at Water Meadows Swimming and Fitness Complex, both of whom have been a big part of the scheme’s success.

Carolyn said:“We’re delighted to win this important award for the work our teams have done across Mansfield. There is huge social value in schemes like ours, with outcomes like less time spent in hospital after an operation, a reduction in the medication people need to take, and overall happier, healthier members.”

Alex commented:“I’m so proud to be involved in something like this. The work we do, coupled with the effort and dedication of the people we’re helping genuinely changes lives.

“Since 2016, we’ve helped over 550 people lead healthier lives via this scheme.”

Jayne Cox, Leisure Manager at Mansfield District Council, said:“Congratulations to the trust and all the team involved in providing the Healthy Life scheme. It is fantastic that Mansfield residents have the opportunity to benefit from this award-winning support. It is testament to the dedication of the trust’s team and the participants themselves that so many people have become fitter and healthier as a result.”

The year’s National Fitness Awards were the 10th anniversary of this prestigious event, with the theme of the night being Winter Wonderland. Guests were treated to a spectacular acrobatics show, with dancers dressed as mythical beasts hanging from the ceiling, in a setting straight out of a fairytale. The awards are organised by Script Events in conjunction with leading fitness industry magazine Workout, with support from headline sponsor ServiceSport.

It has been a great year for the Mansfield centres in terms of awards, with Oak Tree Leisure Centre winning, for the second year in succession, Club/Centre of the Year (Midlands) at the ukactive awards, held in Manchester earlier in 2019.

For more information on the Healthy Life scheme and how it might be able to help you, please contact Carolyn Hallam on 07718 194 711, or email carolyn.hallam@serco.com for more details.

Mansfield District Leisure Trust (MDLT) has staged a local launch for operating partner Serco’s Respect and Protect campaign, a zero tolerance policy towards any violence, aggression or abuse directed against staff delivering front line local services. The event held at Oak Tree Leisure Centre on July 3rd was attended by representatives from Mansfield District Council (MDC) and Serco’s leisure division Managing Director, Simon Bailey.

Simon Bailey said:

“We want our teams to know that the every incident of verbal or physical abuse has to be reported. And we want those making these threats or carrying out these acts to know that we will support our people all the way and, where necessary, involve enforcement agencies.

“In 2018, across the MDLT contract, there were 10 reported incidents of either physical or verbal abuse aimed at members of the team here. This number is down from the 16 recorded in 2017, but some incidents do not get reported, which is why the awareness around this campaign is so crucial.”

Mariam Amos, Strategic Director at Mansfield District Council, said:

“As a council, we fully support Serco’s Respect and Protect campaign. Although the decrease in reported incidents at our leisure centres is encouraging, any more than zero is too many. All employees everywhere deserve to be treated with dignity and respect while carrying out their jobs.”

A Charter of Protection has been agreed between Serco and its customers, which aims to raise awareness and increase understanding of violence, aggression and abuse at work, and to provide a framework of response to identify, prevent and manage such issues. These measures include fostering a culture of zero tolerance, encouraging reporting, supporting police investigations where appropriate, and non-acceptance of unwarranted behaviour, together with specific training and support.

The ‘Respect and Protect’ Campaign was successfully piloted last year when Serco and Sandwell Council in the West Midlands joined unions and police in a unified approach to reduce the increasing number of employees on our Environmental Services contract being subjected to assaults, threats, abusive and insulting behaviour by members of the public.

May 2019

Lottery funding announced for Warsop activity initiative

Mansfield District Leisure Trust (MDLT) has announced a National Lottery Community Fund award of £9,700, helping them to continue running the Fit/Sit Together sessions in Warsop in conjunction with Vibrant Warsop and Sport 4 Kidz.

Fit Together (or Sit Together) are drop-in sessions for adults of all ages, which run every Tuesday from 9 am - 12 noon at The Shed in Warsop. They provide an opportunity for people to come together to socialise and try out new activities with the aim to improve wellbeing and reduce isolation. Activities available currently include having a chat over a cup of tea, board games, table tennis, Boccia, pool and short tennis.

Geoff Waller, Chair of the MDLC said:

“We’re extremely grateful to the National Lottery for this generous award. This will help us continue to provide the range of services and expert support we’re known for.

“Using sport and activity to improve mental and as well as physical wellbeing is what we as a trust are all about. At Fit Together (or Sit Together), we’re seeing people who may have been socially isolated, or previously inactive, and they’re now smiling, moving and enjoying the chance to try new things.”

The National Lottery funding covers room hire and staff costs but will also provide more equipment to expand the types of activities provided.

Carolyn Hallam, Health and Wellbeing Manager at MDLT added:

“It’s been great working with Vibrant Warsop and Sport 4 Kidz on Fit/Sit Together, and I would urge anyone in the Warsop area who hasn’t visited the Shed to come along on a Tuesday and try us out. As the name suggests, people can just sit, have a chat and try a seated activity or they can be more active by trying one of the sports.

“There’s no pressure to do anything you don’t fancy or to stay for the full session - just pop in and have a chat, have a cup of tea and see what you like the look of - then give it a go!”

Anyone interested in attending one of the sessions should just turn up at the Shed, which is in the Adam Eastwood Building, Wood Street, Market Warsop, NG20 0AX, between 9 am and 12 noon any Tuesday.

For more details about Fit Together (or Sit Together), contact Maddy on 07984 367 153 or Carolyn on 07718 194 711, carolyn.hallam@serco.com

11 July 2018

Royal Life Saving Society praises Mansfield pools

Two swimming pools in Mansfield have been highly commended by the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS), following unscheduled ‘mystery shopper’ visits.

The visits were all part of a company-wide initiative by Serco Leisure, which runs the two swimming pools in Mansfield, as well as the award-winning Oak Tree Leisure Centre and River Maun Recreation Centre.

In a sample batch of 35 Serco Leisure UK pools, Rebecca Adlington Swimming Centre and Water Meadows Swimming and Fitness Complex finished overall joint first with total scores of 96%.

Mansfield’s lifeguards scored full 100% ratings for - Observation of Duties, Spot Check Questions, and the Competency element of the checks.

The unannounced spot-checks by officials from the RLSS’s training subsidiary, the IQL, tested the centres in the standards of their training, the consistency of their documentation and the overall attitude and competence of the lifeguards.

This national initiative has been hailed a great success by Serco, but particularly in Mansfield where this achievement is the latest success for centres operated by Serco for the Mansfield District Leisure Trust, Mansfield District Council’s arm’s-length management organisation for leisure facilities in the district.

Gavin Short, from the Mansfield District Leisure Trust, which oversees the running of the centres with Serco Leisure said: “To receive such great feedback from a mystery visit is very pleasing.

“We saw highly positive comments around the quality of our training, the consistency of our documentation and the overall attitude and competence of our lifeguards.

“Keeping our customers safe in a friendly and fun environment is why we are here and this feedback helps our customers and partners believe in the quality of our offering. We look forward to getting 100% in all elements next time around.”

Keith Osborne the RLSS’s National Account Manager said: “Serco Leisure’s approach to Water Safety Management is a great credit to the company and a model that the leisure industry should adopt. I believe they are the only company to do this and certainly the only company to use the RLSS to independently carry out the audit.”

As well as the life-saving accolades, so far this year, the leisure centres’ successes in Mansfield include:

Oak Tree Leisure Centre winning Midlands Leisure Centre of the Year in awards run by leading health improvement organisation UK Active.

Inclusive Fitness Initiative accreditation for the Water Meadows, which recognised it as a place that reaches high accessibility standards for people with disabilities.

High scores for Rebecca Adlington Swimming Centre and Water Meadows in the Sport England benchmarking scheme, Quest, which assesses the management of leisure centres.

Investors in People accreditation, awarded to good employers.

Cllr Andrew Tristram, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Wellbeing, said: “This latest award is yet more evidence of the excellent leisure facilities to be found in Mansfield.

“The district is lucky to have such award-winning centres and I hope this recognition will encourage more people to use them because to help to reduce the health inequalities that exist in this district, we are really keen to see more people taking up sport and physical activities.”